Building a business isn’t a straight path, it’s filled with highs, lows, and moments that test everything you thought you could handle. For many entrepreneurs, there comes a point where quitting feels real, not just a passing thought.
17 Entrepreneurs share what almost made them quit their business, and why they stayed
Whether it’s financial pressure, burnout, lack of traction, or unexpected setbacks, that breaking point is more common than most people admit. We asked entrepreneurs to share what almost made them walk away from their business, and more importantly, why they didn’t. Their answers reveal the resilience, mindset shifts, and lessons that kept them going when it mattered most.
1. Travel collapse pushed me to build for the comeback
When the travel industry collapsed, everything stopped. No bookings, no movement, no income. After 20 years of building something meaningful, it suddenly felt worthless. I even considered starting over in something safer. But I knew my expertise, relationships, and deep knowledge of the region still mattered. Instead of quitting, I used the downtime to strengthen partnerships and prepare for recovery. When the world reopened, I was ready, stronger, more connected, and able to rebuild faster than before.
Thanks to Ema Škabar, EXCLUSIVE ADRIATIC!
2. Market uncertainty and failed deals tested commitment
There was a point early on where I genuinely questioned everything. The market was unpredictable, deals were falling through, and I was grinding hard without much to show for it. Real estate looks glamorous from the outside. That uncertainty hit me hard in the beginning. What kept me going was the people. It was about building something that actually served people well. Quitting would have meant walking away from every client I hadn't helped yet. The hard seasons taught me more than the easy wins ever could. They shaped how I run my team today.
Thanks to Justin Landis, The Justin Landis Group!
3. Overwhelm and slow progress tested persistence
It was the earlier of LLP; everything just felt like too much, too many things happening at once, constant pressure, and barely any space to even think. It wasn’t one big setback; it was more the slow buildup of days where it felt like I was putting in a lot but not really moving forward. I thought about stopping more than once. But I didn’t, I kept going back to why I started in the first place. That part mattered more than how hard it felt in the moment. Over time, I started noticing small wins again, nothing huge, just little signs that things were still moving. And there were also people relying on the work getting done, which kept me grounded.
Thanks to Shannon Carver, Lean Leader Plus!
4. Daily pressure makes quitting a constant thought
There is no single moment that almost makes entrepreneurs quit, because most of us want to quit multiple times before lunch. That is the reality of building something meaningful. The highs are high, the lows are brutal, and the pressure never really switches off. What has stopped me from quitting is simple: my vision is bigger than the problem in front of me today. Over time, I have become very good at compartmentalising, staying steady, and carrying pressure quietly while still giving my team confidence.
Thanks to Rudy Crous, Compono!
5. Burnout tested limits, purpose drove continuation
Burnout almost got me. Running a business in real estate means long hours, hard conversations, and carrying a lot of weight for a lot of people. There were days I was running on empty and wondering if it was worth it. But I kept coming back to why I started to build something real, to help families find homes. That work reminded me every day that what I do goes way beyond a transaction. Burnout knocked on my door, but my deeper purpose kept me from answering it.
Thanks to Betsy Pepine, Pepine Realty!
6. Market doubt turned into competitive advantage
People thought we were crazy. Opening a membership-based men's grooming club in a recession, in a market that had never seen anything like it. I heard every version of “that won't work.” And for a minute, all those voices got loud. I started to second-guess the whole thing. But then I remembered why we didn't buy into a franchise, because we didn't want to do what everyone else was already doing. The doubt from the outside actually made us push harder.
Thanks to Ben Davis, The Gents Place!
7. Manual work overload revealed valuable patterns
There was a point early on where I genuinely thought about stopping. I was pulling data from short-form platforms by hand, tracking what was working in messy spreadsheets, and trying to turn noise into something useful. It felt endless. I was spending more time cleaning data than actually learning anything from it. I remember thinking, “This is not scalable, and I might be forcing something that doesn’t need to exist.” What stopped me was seeing that even in that chaos, patterns were showing up.
Thanks to Nicolas Mauro, Virlo.ai!
8. Tight budgets and market doubts tested belief
9. Financial pressure made quitting not an option
Thanks to Lonnie Jones, Local SEO Help!
10. Finding purpose through struggle
There was a period when the business felt impossible. Financial challenges, long hours, and constant setbacks made success seem out of reach. Every day brought new doubts about whether the effort was worth it. What prevented quitting was the realization that exhaustion did not mean failure. The struggle was connected to something meaningful. Instead of focusing only on immediate difficulties, the focus shifted to the deeper purpose behind the work. Over time, persistence turned hardship into progress, proving that meaningful goals are often built during the most challenging periods.
11. Recovering from burnout
Burnout nearly ended the entrepreneurial journey after years of operating under constant pressure. The workload, responsibility, and expectation to handle everything eventually became overwhelming. Walking away provided time to recover and reflect. The key realization was that the problem was not entrepreneurship itself but the unsustainable way it was being approached. Success does not require sacrificing health, balance, or well-being. Sometimes the solution is not quitting the business but changing how the business is run.
Thanks to David Caruso, Buy Factory Direct!
12. Building visibility and reputation
A major challenge came from realizing that hard work alone was not creating recognition or opportunities. Despite having valuable experience, there was little visibility or public proof of expertise. Watching others gain attention more easily created doubts about whether effort alone was enough. The turning point came from understanding that reputation must be built intentionally. Expertise only creates opportunities when people can see and understand it. Focusing on visibility, credibility, and personal branding changed the trajectory of the business and reinforced the importance of being discoverable.
Thanks to Syed Asif Ali, Point Media!
13. Waiting through difficult seasons
A prolonged period of illness brought business growth to a complete stop and created uncertainty about the future. Being unable to serve clients or continue normal work led to doubts about whether the entrepreneurial path was still the right one. Rather than making permanent decisions during a difficult time, the focus shifted to recovery and patience. The lesson was that setbacks do not last forever. Sometimes the best response is to wait, heal, and allow circumstances to improve before deciding the future. Persistence often means simply staying the course.
Thanks to Sophia Ellowen, Psychedelic Therapy Facilitator!
14. Pushing Through Growth Plateaus
The biggest challenge that nearly made me quit was patient drop-off. In rehabilitation, progress depends on consistency, yet many patients stop before completing their treatment plan, often just as improvement begins. Early on, it felt discouraging, like the work wasn’t translating into lasting results. I realized the issue wasn’t just the treatment, but the experience around it. I stayed by shifting my approach, focusing on clearer communication, setting realistic expectations, and strengthening follow-up. Over time, I saw that retention improves when patients feel supported and understand the process, not just the outcome.
Thanks to Kieran Sheridan, GulfPhysio!
15. Staying focused on impact
Managing every aspect of a business can become overwhelming, especially when administrative responsibilities begin to overshadow the work that originally inspired the business. There were moments when the operational demands felt heavier than the actual service being provided. Positive outcomes and meaningful results provided a clear reminder of why the business existed. Focusing on the difference being made helped maintain motivation & reinforced the value of continuing despite the challenges of running a business.
Thanks to Annie Barry, All Round Wellness!
16. Finding validation in early success
Building a marketplace created a difficult challenge because growth depended on attracting multiple groups at the same time. Significant effort produced little immediate revenue, making the entire concept feel uncertain. Doubts grew as time, energy, and resources continued to be invested without clear results. The turning point came when the first paying customer appeared unexpectedly. That small validation proved that real demand existed. Early wins, even minor ones, can provide powerful motivation. Sometimes a single customer is enough to confirm that persistence is worthwhile.
Thanks to Amy Castello, Adbassador!
17. Remembering customer impact
Six months in, RaceMate had around 40 weekly users and I was questioning whether a niche F1 data tool could ever be worth the effort. Then a fan messaged me the night before a race to say he had used the championship calculator to win an argument with his dad about whether his favourite driver could still win the title. That one message made the whole thing feel real again. Whenever it gets hard now I go back and read those messages.
Thanks to Taras Lanchev, RaceMate!
